Teaching English as a Foreign Language...

1

Teaching English as a Foreign Languageשאילתה:

1.

TI: On Reflective Teaching of EFL Teachers in Local Universities of

China--A Case Study of Leshan Normal University, Sichuan

AU: Li, Zou; Ye, Zhou

SO: English Language Teaching, v9 n6 p154-161 2016

Presently, China plays a vital role in the world. Therefore, Chinese

passion for English has reached an unprecedented level. Nevertheless,

various problems occur in EFL teaching. Thus, EFL teachers must

make the teaching qualities better by reflective teaching, an effective

way to improving EFL teaching. The paper is to study the definitions,

approaches and the characteristics of reflective teaching, so that

teachers can clarify what reflection teaching is, how important it is, and

how they can become reflective teachers. In addition, the paper also

analyzes one case study of teacher reflection in Leshan Normal

University in the perspective of improving EFL teachers' teaching.

Finally, the paper draws a conclusion to trigger the further study.

2.

TI: Re-Entering My Space: A Narrative Inquiry into Teaching

English as a Foreign Language in an Imagined Third Space

AU: Ai, Bin; Wang, Lifei

SO: Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, v23 n2 p227-240

2017

The purpose of this study is to reflect on my experience of teaching

English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an inland Chinese university

when I returned from Australia: I re-entered the space of EFL teaching,

and experimented with a new model of teaching. In my experiment, I

2

applied the concepts of third space and hybrid identity as a theoretical

framework for teaching EFL. A personal narrative form is chosen to

report and reflect on the experiment, as this is the form that directly

expresses experience, allows for reflection on it, and is appropriate for

studies of identity. Using anecdotes and reflection, I relate the

observed responses of a cohort of Chinese EFL learners to this new

EFL teaching model. From this account, reflections are drawn on the

challenges that reform of traditional teacher-centred EFL methods in

the Chinese cultural context brings to the learners, and by implication,

the teacher, from the perspective of an insider (teacher) returning

home from an outsider's third space as a learner in another culture.

3.

TI: Factors Affecting the Quality of English Language Teaching in

Preparatory Year, University of Jeddah

AU: Dakhiel, Maysoon A.


Several Universities in Saudi Arabia have recently made it their priority

to pursue excellence in effective EFL teaching-learning starting from

the Preparatory Year Program (PYP). That is due to the rapid

expansion of English as a lingua franca in tertiary education especially

in science and technology, scientific and educational publication,

technology, internet communication, etc. The present study will

examine the current situation in EFL teaching and learning to identify

the factors affecting the quality of English language teaching in the

PYP at Jeddah University. When studying quality in EFL teaching, the

concentration is usually put on the teacher where in fact the success of

the operation is collaboration between three major constituents of the

program triangle, the learners, the teachers and the institution.

3

Therefore, these three constituents were asked to first identify what

they think is important in regards to the quality of the EFL program, and

what impedes achieving its goals. In order to identify and analyze the

factors, this study applied the following survey: Quality in Language

Teaching for Adults developed by Grundtvig Learning Partnership

(2009-2011), on teachers, learners, and administrators. Slight

variations in wording of the survey statements was implemented in

order to suit each group. For data analysis, SPSS software was used.

Recommendations and further fields of study presented were based on

the findings.

4.

TI: Looking beyond the ELT Approach in China's Higher Education

from the Perspective of Bilingual Education: Immersion, Content-

Based Instruction or Something Else?

AU: Wang, Ping

SO: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, v20

n1 p102-114 2017

This article starts with definitions of bilingualism with a focus on the

analysis of bilingual competence. Then the aims and types of bilingual

education in developing bilingual competence are introduced with focus

on analyses of immersion and content-based instruction. Subsequently,

the contextual settings of the study are briefly presented. Finally, the

study suggests that modifications must be made to integrate some

concepts and features of content-based instruction with those of

immersion to meet the needs of English as a foreign language (EFL)

teaching for non-English majors in China's higher education. The article

concludes with the recommendation that a composite EFL teaching

4

approach should be implemented in China's EFL teaching in higher

education.

5.

TI: Understanding Bilingual Education: An Overview of Key

Notions in the Literature and the Implications for Chinese

University EFL Education

AU: Ping, Wang

SO: Cambridge Journal of Education, v47 n1 p85-102 2017

This article starts with a review of definitions of bilingualism. It then

discusses the definition of bilingual education with its focus on the

analysis of bilingual competence. It is subsequently suggested that a

theoretical hard nut to be cracked in today's bilingual research is to

establish the scope of discussion of bilingualism models meeting the

specific needs in a specific context instead of simple acceptance of the

current EFL teaching models learned from other countries or regions.

6.

TI: Teacher Candidates' Perceptions of Nonnative-English-

Speaking Teacher Educators in a TESOL Program: "Is There a

Language Barrier Compensation"?

AU: Kang, Hyun-Sook

SO: TESOL Journal, v6 n2 p225-251 Jun 2015

A great deal of research has examined the status of nonnative-English-

speaking (NNES) professionals in TESOL from multiple perspectives,

including graduate students (Brutt-Griffler & Samimy, 2001; Liu, 1999;

Park, 2012), program administrators (Clark & Paran, 2007;

Nemtchinova, 2005), and ESL/EFL learners (Arva & Medgyes, 2000;

5

Butler, 2007; Ma, 2012a). Little research has addressed native-English-

speaking (NES) teacher candidates' perspectives on the NNES-NES

divide in TESOL. To fill this void, this study examined the perceptions

of teacher candidates from mainstream U.S. backgrounds toward

NNES teacher educators. Seventy-six students in a TESOL program

completed a web-based self-administered questionnaire. The rating

data show no statistically significant differences between NNES and

NES teacher educators in personal qualities, teaching preparation, and

feedback to students, whereas NNES teacher educators scored lower

than their NES counterparts in material presentation, interaction with

students, and cultural awareness. The narrative data suggest that,

although the NNES teacher educators' English variety was viewed as a

barrier in classroom communication, the teacher candidates perceived

admirably the strategies to compensate for their lack of Standard

English competence through preparation and various communication

techniques. The NNES teacher educators' bilingual, multicultural

experience was viewed as a form of cultural capital for teacher

preparation.

7.

TI: EFL Doctoral Students' Conceptions of Authorial Stance in

Academic Research Writing: An Exploratory Study

AU: Chang, Peichin

SO: RELC Journal: A Journal of Language Teaching and Research,

v47 n2 p175-192 Aug 2016

English as foreign language (EFL) writers are often found to have

weaker control of their academic writing, among which presenting an

effective authorial stance has been reported as particularly challenging

(Hyland, 1998a; Schleppegrell, 2004). In particular, student writers

6

tended to deploy a stronger stance and be less effective with tentative

claims. The study investigated a small group of EFL doctoral students'

conceptions, which, as hypothesized, may affect their presentation of

stance in academic arguments. Twelve doctoral candidates were

recruited from two disciplines, soft and hard sciences. They answered

questions and made judgments related to authorial stance, adapted

into two "extreme" versions, assertive and tentative, in academic texts

taken from both domain-specific and domain-neutral journal articles.

The results revealed that the doctoral participants' conceptions

pertained to three dimensions, "Stance as linguistic construct," "as

cognitive or behavioural entity" and "as institutional norm." Their

conceptions generally lacked sophistication and depth and instead

were reductive and polarized. Assertive claims obtained more

favourable considerations than tentative claims, and students from both

disciplines varied considerably in their views of language. The results

can inform academic stance instruction to allow for more exposure to

nuanced presentations of stance and engagement with explicit

discussions of the nuances of stance-taking.

8.

TI: Microteaching Experience in Distance English Language

Teacher Training: A Case Study

AU: Merc, Ali

SO: Journal of Educators Online, v12 n2 p1-34 Jul 2015

The purpose of this single-subject case study was to document the

experiences of a teacher trainee during a 12-week microteaching

process in the Distance English Language Teacher Training program

(DELT). The student teacher subject responded to questionnaires,

submitted online dialogue journals, and answered open-ended

7

questions before and after the practicum. An online interview was also

conducted at the end of the practicum process. The analyses of the

data suggested that distance EFL teacher trainees experienced a

certain degree of foreign language teaching anxiety. It was also found

that the microteaching practice in the program was useful for teacher

candidates despite some problems. Assessment and evaluation via the

e-portfolio system, on the other hand, was a satisfying system from the

student teacher's eyes. The analyses yielded to a brief explanation of

the challenges and concerns of teacher trainees in distance context.

Implications for the present and future distance teacher training

programs chiefly focus on more guidance and support for the student

teachers. The role of mentors are also vital for more fruitful teaching

practice opportunities for the teacher candidates.

9.

TI: Unveiling Pre-Service Language Teachers' Conceptualizations

of Teachers of English through Metaphors

AU: Kavanoz, Suzan

SO: Journal of Education and Training Studies, v4 n10 p17-32 Oct

2016

The present research aimed at conducting an analysis of metaphors

Turkish pre-service language teachers generated about English as a

Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. This study also examined whether

and how the metaphors created by teacher candidates at different

phases of their education demonstrated variation. The data gathered

from 94 participants were analyzed using the taxonomy of metaphors

developed by Oxford and her colleagues (1998). The analysis revealed

a gradual decline in participants' views of teacher as a professional

responsible for social order and cultural transmission as they became

8

more acculturated into the profession. The few occurrences of learner-

centered metaphors and the predominance of teacher-centered

metaphors in the initial years were replaced with more learner -centered

metaphors. The results supported the initial assumption about the

impact of class level differences on prospective teachers' thinking

about teaching and learning. The transformation in participants'

perception is indicative of how their professional identity is perpetually

constructed and reconstructed during teacher preparation.

10.

TI: Professional vision of prospective EFL teachers: How student

teachers see videotaped classroom situations

AU: Minaříková, Eva

SO: Pedagogická Orientace; 2014, Vol. 24 Issue 5, p753-777, 25p

The presented study aims to describe professional vision of

prospective teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and the

changes that occur in this respect after working with a videocase-based

e-learning environment (IRSE VideoWeb for EFL student teachers).

The research sample comprised 37 students of the English department

at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University who participated in

onesemester course called VideoWeb. The data were collected using

diagnostic modules of IRSE VideoWeb that consisted of video

sequences of real classroom situations and tasks that aimed at eliciting

students' comments. Their written answers were analysed using two

coding schemes (to describe knowledge-based reasoning and the

overall structure of the written comments). To illustrate student

teachers' selective attention, statements concerning the way the

teacher in one of the video sequences gave instructions were selected

and inductively analysed. The results suggest that the student

9

teachers' comments on video sequences are mostly descriptive in

nature; however, a number of interpretive and evaluative statements is

present. The changes in professional vision after working with IRSE

VideoWeb were evident in several areas. Firstly, after VideoWeb, the

comments tended to be even more descriptive and less evaluative.

Their structure changed - mo st of them were no longer organised

around themes but rather followed the timeline of the video sequence.

Moreover, the student teachers commented on more themes (observed

phenomena). This suggests an overall change in their professional

vision and in how they reason about videotaped classroom situations.

11.

TI: Professional vision of future English language teachers:

subject-specific noticing and knowledge-based reasoning.

AU: Uličná, Klára

SO: E-Pedagogium; 2017, Issue 2, p38-49

The article focuses on future English language teachers' professional

vision. Specifically, we explore what important subject-specific

moments they notice in a lesson, i.e. noticing or selected attention; and

how they reason about these moments, i.e. knowledge-based

reasoning. We focus on important moments related to the subject of

teaching English/English language teaching methodology at the end of

their master studies. Students were asked to write an unstructured

reflection based on an observation of videoed English language lesson.

The reflections were analysed in comparison to expert analysis of the

lesson. Students approximately commented two important moments

(experts six) and most of their comment were of descriptive and

evaluative nature. They did not show any deep ability to connect the

10

seen to some underlying theory, nor to provide some theory-based

alterations or predictions

12.

TI: Examining EFL Teacher Candidates' Conceptions of English

Language Teachers through Metaphors.

AU: YALÇIN ARSLAN, Fadime; CİNKARA, Emrah

SO: Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences. 2016, Vol. 15

Issue 4, p1095-1104

This study aims to investigate EFL teacher candidates' metaphors

regarding English language teachers. The data was collected through

102 teacher candidates' essays written on their views of being an EFL

teachers and teaching. The metaphors were qualitatively and

quantitatively analyzed. Content analysis of the essays revealed a total

of 134 metaphors categorized in four groups: people, objects, actions

and animals. The verbs, adjectives and adverbs in the host statements

of metaphors were also investigated and were categorized into two

groups, namely focus on self-development and focus on other-

development. Percentages were calculated and given for metaphors,

verbs, adjectives and adverbs in each category

13

TI: Learning by Teaching: Training EFL Pre-service Teachers

through Inquiry-based Learning.

AU: R., Luis Fernando Gomez

SO: Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching; Jun2017, Vol.

14 Issue 1, p21-36

11

This research study examined how a group of EFL pre-service teachers

were engaged in inquiry-based learning to do literary research in order

to teach lessons on short story analysis in an EFL literature class.

Inquiry-based learning was articulated with the theory on Learning by

Teaching so that pre-service teachers were aware of the importance of

subject matter knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in their

professional development to teach English. Teacher candidates'

opinions about their experience and their decision-making in the inquiry

process to teach a class served as the main data collected through

field notes of their teaching and a questionnaire. Findings show that

pre-service teachers constructed literary knowledge supported by

research, generated critical analysis on short story content, and

implemented pedagogical strategies when teaching classes on short

stories in the target language.

14.

TI: The Role of Opportunities to Learn in Teacher Preparation for

EFL Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge

AU: König, Johannes; Tachtsoglou, Sarantis; Lammerding, Sandra;

Strauß, Sarah; Nold, Günter; Rohde, Andreas

SO: Modern Language Journal, v101 n1 p109-127 Spr 2017

The study examines the connection between domain-specific learning

opportunities in English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher

preparation and preservice EFL teachers' pedagogical content

knowledge (PCK). Using a sample of 444 preservice EFL teachers for

secondary schools, it contrasts groups at the end of the 2 phases

required in German teacher preparation programs: a theoretical phase

at university and a supervised professional internship at a school

(practical phase). Specifically, it examines differences in learning

12

opportunities (self-reports) and PCK (paper-and-pencil test results).

Findings from regression analysis show that learning opportunity

measures substantially predict PCK test scores. The article discusses

the effectiveness of EFL teacher preparation programs for preservice

teachers' performance on PCK and concludes with possible

interpretations and research suggestions.

15.

TI: From Belief to Action: Omani EFL Teachers' Self-Efficacy in

Relation to Their Teaching of English as a Foreign Language

AU: Al-Shukri, Abdullah Khamis

SO: ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Nevada, Las

Vegas

Research has documented that teacher self-efficacy has positive

impacts on different aspects of teaching and learning. Yet, research on

teacher self-efficacy in the field of teaching English as a Foreign

Language (EFL) is relatively limited. Considering the powerful impacts

of teacher self-efficacy on teaching and learning, it is crucial to pursue

this line of research into the field of teacher education. Examining EFL

teachers' self-efficacy beliefs in teaching English seems to be

particularly useful in the Omani teaching context, where English is

increasingly used in schools. The present study examined Omani EFL

teachers' self-efficacy beliefs, its sources and factors, and the

relationship between EFL self-efficacy beliefs and teachers' practices.

Through using an explanatory mixed methods design, the study

explored the perceived levels of Omani EFL teachers' self -efficacy for

(a) engaging students, (b) classroom management, and (c) instructional

strategies. In addition, the study investigated the ability of the

variables, years of teaching and training courses to predict Omani EFL

13

teachers' self-efficacy. The study also investigated the sources that

composed Omani EFL teachers' self-efficacy and the factors that

influenced these self-efficacy beliefs. Finally, the relationship between

Omani EFL teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and their ability to effectively

teach English as a foreign language was examined in this study. The

study revealed several major results. First, the participants perceived

their capabilities for instructional strategies as higher than their

capabilities for classroom management and students' engagement,

respectively. Second, both years of teaching and number of training

courses were not significant predictors of teachers' self-efficacy beliefs.

Third, the sources of information for Omani EFL teachers' self -efficacy

included: enactive mastery experiences (including teacher's English

knowledge, students' achievement, professional development, and

years of experience), vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion,

intrinsic motivation, and teacher dispositions. Fourth, Omani EFL

teachers' self-efficacy were influenced by contextual factors (including

school environment, work load, educational facilities and materials,

society and culture, school curriculum, teacher's relationships, number

of students and school system), extrinsic motivation, and demographic

factors. Fifth, the study has confirmed that there is a relationship

between EFL teachers' self-efficacy beliefs and their teaching practices

in the classroom. In general, teachers' self -efficacy beliefs tended to be

consistent with their capabilities of teaching English as a foreign

language.This study adds to the literature that claims the importance of

EFL teacher self-efficacy in teaching and learning. It also expands the

theoretical foundation of the sources of the information for EFL teacher

self-efficacy and the factors influence it. Additionally, the study

suggests some practical implications for teacher development, teacher

education programs, in-service teacher training, and research in EFL

teacher self-efficacy.

14

16.

TI: The Effect of a Suggested Multisensory Phonics Program on

Developing Kindergarten Pre-Service Teachers' EFL Reading

Accuracy and Phonemic Awareness

AU: Ghoneim, Nahed Mohammed Mahmoud; Elghotmy, Heba Elsayed

Abdelsalam


The current study investigates the effect of a suggested multisensory

phonics program on developing kindergarten pre-service teachers' EFL

reading accuracy and phonemic awareness. A total of 40 fourth year

kindergarten pre-service teachers, Faculty of Education, participated in

the study that involved one group experimental design. Pre-post tests

were administered to assess the participants' phonics skills. The

results showed that the suggested multisensory phonics program was

effective in developing kindergarten pre-service teachers' EFL reading

accuracy and phonemic awareness

17.

TI: Professional Development Needs of Primary EFL Teachers:

Perspectives of Teachers and Teacher Educators

AU: Zein, Mochamad Subhan

SO: Professional Development in Education, v43 n2 p293-313 2017

This study investigates the professional development (PD) needs of

primary English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers whose

professional field has received significant interest at the global level in

the past two decades. The study takes a different stance from previous

research that exclusively generated data from teachers because it

15

sought the perspectives of teacher educators as well. The decision to

include teacher educators in this study has proven useful to generate

ample data that suggest the inseparable relationships between primary

EFL teachers' profiles, their needs and the specific typicality of thei r

professional environment. The study proposes a model of needs-based

PD for primary EFL teachers that exemplifies these aspects. The

discussion in the study brings implications for future research into the

PD needs of primary EFL teachers. It will also inform teacher educators

and educational policy-makers to develop a framework of reference for

the design of PD programmes that well attend to primary EFL teachers'

needs.

18.

TI: The Five Tier Model for Teaching English Academic Writing in

EFL Contexts.

AU: Al-Khatib, Hayat

SO: Arab World English Journal; Jun2017, Vol. 8 Issue 2, p74-86

Academic writing in English is at the heart of teaching and learning in

English foreign language (EFL) contexts. However, despite the need to

target and isolate the problems associated with writing academic

English in EFL contexts, recent research has focused mostly on the

psycholinguistic dimension of academic writing in English. The aim of

this paper is to redirect interest in English academic writing and situate

it back within linguistic enquiry. The study focuses on targeting and

isolating the problems associated with English academic writing at the

transitional stage from public high school to university. In contemporary

research, educators are raising concerns on the level of proficiency in

English academic writing, attained by the end of secondary schooling,

specifically in the public education context. A case study, conducted on

16

470 final year secondary students in public schooling in Lebanon,

reflected persistent phonemic orthographic errors, grammatical errors,

structural and organizational errors, notwithstanding the fact that the

participating students were instructed according to the official EFL

programme. Errors were interpreted from contemporary linguistic

perspectives and a five tier model was proposed for teaching English

academic writing in EFL contexts

19.

TI: Teachers' Professional Knowledge for Teaching English as a

Foreign Language: Assessing the Outcomes of Teacher Education

AU: König, Johannes; Lammerding, Sandra; Nold, Günter; Rohde,

Andreas; Strauß, Sarah; Tachtsoglou, Sarantis

SU: Journal of Teacher Education, v67 n4 p320-337 Sep-Oct 2016

Despite an increasing research interest in subject-specific teacher

knowledge, the scientific understanding regarding teachers'

professional knowledge for teaching English as a foreign language

(TEFL) is very limited. This study therefore applies standardized tests

to directly assess content knowledge (CK), pedagogical content

knowledge (PCK), and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) of

preservice teachers for TEFL in Germany from different programs and

stages during initial teacher education (during their master's studies at

university and at the end of their induction phase). Structural analysis

provides evidence that teacher knowledge with respect to TEFL is a

multidimensional construct and PCK is closely related to both CK and

GPK. Test scores vary across preservice teachers from different

programs and stages, which adequately reflects differences in the

learning opportunities they had during teacher education

17

20.

TI: A Study of the Use of Narratives in Teaching English as a

Foreign Language to Young Learners

AU: Fojkar, Mateja Dagarin; Skela, Janez; Kovac, Pija


The article reports the findings of a survey, conducted among primary

school English language teachers in Slovenia, aimed at revealing their

attitudes towards the use of narratives in teaching English as a foreign

language to children aged from eight to nine years (3rd and 4th grades

respectively). The research results show that most teachers use

narratives when teaching English, generally once or twice per month,

and that teachers who do not use a course book in the classroom

employ storytelling or story reading techniques more frequently than

teachers who follow a course book in their teaching. Despite the fact

that the teachers participating in the study are aware of the importance

of narratives in teaching English as a foreign language to young

learners, there is still a lot to be done concerning the selection of the

narratives, the narrating techniques and the post-narration activities.

Proper teacher training for teaching a foreign language to young

learners could address most of these issues.

21.

TI: Identifying Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs about Teaching EFL

and Their Potential Changes

AU: Suárez Flórez, Sergio Andrés; Basto Basto, Edwin Arley

SO: PROFILE: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development, v19 n2

p167-184 Jul-Dec 2017

18

This study aims at identifying pre-service teachers' beliefs about

teaching English as a foreign language and tracking their potential

changes throughout the teaching practicum. Participants were two pre -

service teachers in their fifth year of their Bachelor of Arts in Foreign

Languages program in a public university in Colombia. Data were

gathered through a modified version of Beliefs about Language

Learning Inventory before the practicum, eight weekly journal entries

administered during ten weeks, and two semi-structured interviews at

the end of the teaching practicum. The findings revealed that most of

the pre-service teachers' beliefs changed once they faced the reality of

the classroom.

22.

TI: Introducing Translation-Based Activities in Teaching English as

a Foreign Language: A Step towards the Improvement of Learners'

Accurate Use of Words and Expressions in Writing

AU: Mbeudeu, Clovis Delor

SO: Research in Pedagogy, v7 n1 p76-89 2017

The teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in the world in

general and in Cameroon in particular has witnessed, over the last

three decades, heated debates on which methodologies to adopt in the

classroom and which learning strategies to apply for effective teaching

and learning so that learners do not only acquire a linguistic

competence but also communicative and sociolinguistic competences.

This study aims at bringing to the limelight the so-criticised Grammar

Translation Method in teaching/learning EFL in Cameroon. More

specifically, this work investigates the perception of Anglophone and

Francophone teachers of EFL on how the introduction of translation-

based activities could be a step towards achieving accuracy in learners'

19

written productions. For data collection, a sample of certified secondary

and high school EFL teachers were interviewed on the introduction of

translation-based activities in their classroom practices. These

teachers are unanimous that translation strategies must be adopted in

the classroom for many reasons. This could foster students' accuracy

in writing; thus helping the achievement of another skill in learners

namely, translation. But they all agree that the use of translation should

be highly monitored by the classroom teacher; it should be mostly used

at beginners' level and gradually discarded as the learners progress to

the end of the secondary school. From this, it is high time specialists in

language planning and teaching policies rethought how the teaching of

English should be done in Cameroon and this will go a long way to

improve on educational success and effective official bilingualism.

23.

TI: How Can EFL Teachers Help EFL Learners Improve Their

English Pronunciation?

AU: Gilakjani, Abbas Pourhosein; Sabouri, Narjes Banou

SO: Journal of Language Teaching & Research; Sep2016, Vol. 7 Issue

5, p967-972

One of the important parts of foreign language teaching and learning is

English pronunciation because it impacts learners' communicative

competence and performance. Lack of pronunciation skills reduces

learners' self-confidence and limit their social interactions. EFL

teachers can help their learners obtain the necessary skills of

pronunciation they need for effective communication. In this paper, the

researchers define the term pronunciation, explain the importance of

pronunciation, declare the goals of English pronunciation, state the

aspects of English pronunciation, elaborate the reason of integrating

20

pronunciation in EFL classes, express techniques for teaching English

pronunciation, and mention implications for the learning and teaching

of English pronunciation. The review of literature indicates that EFL

teachers play a vital role in improving the learners' pronunciation skill.

24.

TI: Validation of a locally created and rated writing test used for

placement in a higher education EFL program

AU: Johnson, Robert C; Riazi, A. Mehdi

SO: Assessing Writing; Apr2017, Vol. 32, p85-104

This paper reports a study conducted to validate a locally created and

rated writing test. The test was used to inform a higher education

institution’s decisions regarding placement of entering students into

appropriate preparatory English program courses. An amalgam of two

influential models – Kane’s (1992, 1994) interpretive model and

Bachman’s (2005) and Bachman and Palmer’s (2010) assessment use

argument – was used to build a validation framework. A mixed methods

approach incorporating a diverse array of quantitative and qualitative

data from various stakeholders, including examinees, students,

instructors, staff, and administrators, guided the collection and analysis

of evidence informing the validation. Results established serious

doubts about the writing test, not only in terms of interpreted score

meaning, but also the impact of its use on various stakeholders, and on

teaching and learning. The study reinforces the importance of

comprehensive validation efforts, particularly by test users, for all

instruments informing decisions about test-takers, including writing

tests and other types of direct performance assessments. Results

informed a number of suggested changes regarding the rubric and rater

training, among others, thus demonstrating the potential of validation

21

studies as ‘road maps’ for immediate opportunities to improve both

testing and decisions made based on testing

25.

TI: Profiling Formative Assessment Culture in EFL Teacher

Education Programs in the Middle East.

AU: Elebyary, Khaled M.

SO: Theory & Practice in Language Studies; Dec2013, Vol. 3 Issue 12,

p2169-2177

Although there is general agreement that there is a difference between

assessment of learning (summative assessment), and assessment for

learning (formative assessment), and that both forms of assessment

have valuable roles to play, comparatively little attention is given to the

latter in foreign language teacher education programs (FLTEPs) in the

Middle East. The inclusion of formative assessment in foreign language

teacher education curricula is meant to improve student teachers'

learning and that is why it generally counts towards the final grades.

However, little formative classroom assessment, as compared to

summative, is currently provided and as a result, student teachers are

unable to benefit from the positive effect this would have on their

learning. There is in practice a gulf between the decision-takers'

requirements that formative classroom assessment should be used and

instructors' distrust in this form of assessment. This research paper

assumes that this view is unconsciously inherent in FLTEPs, which is

the major channel for training and recruiting teachers of foreign

languages at pre-university levels in many Arab states. Therefore, the

aim of this study is to provide a snapshot of the implicit/explicit

formative classroom assessment culture in FLTEPs in the Middle East

Teaching English as a Foreign Language...

Documents

Transcript of Teaching English as a Foreign Language...